You probably couldn’t have found anyone in the Angels clubhouse who took Saturday’s loss harder than Matt Thaiss.
With Los Angeles nursing a 7-6 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park, Thaisse turned in a rare frame that ultimately doomed the visitors. After Kiké Hernández led off the inning with a single, a pinch-hitting Raimel Tapia reached base via catcher’s interference. Two batters later, Reese McGuire earned a free pass after Thaiss once again invaded the swing path.
Unexpected hero Yu Chang proceeded to make Thaiss pay with the bases loaded, smacking a go-ahead, two-RBI single. The Red Sox tacked on one more in their eventual 9-7 win, which the Angels initially led 4-0 in the early goings.
The outcome was a tough pill to swallow for Thaiss.
“It’s awful,” the 27-year-old backstop told reporters after the game, per The Boston Globe. “That’s the reason we lost. It stings. I’m sick to my stomach.”
Thaiss and the Angels will try to bounce back and earn their first win of the series Sunday when Boston and Los Angeles meet for Game 3 of 4. NESN’s complete coverage of the matinee matchup, which will be preceded by a special ceremony for the Red Sox’s 2013 club, begins at noon ET.
